Will Malliotakis Qualify For Debate #2?

Will mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis qualify for the second televised mayoral debate? She has not yet met the threshold set by the City’s campaign finance law, but today expressed optimism that she’ll do so.

The City’s campaign finance law requires matching program participants to participate in two debates, and sets different criteria that candidates must meet to qualify for each debate. (Candidates are free to debate as often as they like, but frontrunner Bill de Blasio has only agreed to the two mandatory debates.) For Malliotakis, Bo Dietl and Sal Albanese the CFB debates offer their best chance at reaching a broad audience.

Candidates can qualify for the second general election debate by raising and spending at least $1 million by October 23rd. Malliotakis reported raising $846,000 as of October 2nd, leaving about $154,000 to go. Today Malliotakis estimated that she’s within $25,000-$30,000 of the required amount. (She’s already met the spending requirement, reporting more than $1.2 million spent as of October 2nd, using some of $1.5 million she’s received in matching funds.)

Here’s what Malliotakis had to say today (we spoke just after she was endorsed by the Sergeants Benevolent Association in Queens Village):